Arc Raiders devs finally reveal how matchmaking works after months of confusion

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Embark Studios has revealed details about how Arc Raiders connects players, and specifically, how it determines when you’ll play with teammates.

Since its release in October 2025, Arc Raiders players have largely split into two groups: those who prefer playing with cooperative teams against the environment, and those who enjoy competitive player-versus-player combat.

Okay, so there’s been a lot of talk about how the game decides who you play with. A lot of us who get a few kills in a match feel like the game then throws us into way tougher lobbies with really aggressive players. But it’s funny because on the flip side, players who barely shoot at anyone are saying they end up in matches where it feels like there are hardly any other real people playing – it’s like the game thinks we want it easy! It’s a bit of a weird system, and a lot of us are trying to figure out how it actually works.

The game developers have finally explained in detail how the matchmaking system works and determines who you play with.

Arc Raiders devs confirm there are no PvE-only lobbies

Embark Studios explained in a recent blog post that they’re aiming for Arc Raiders to be both surprising and to connect players who will enjoy playing together. They discovered that grouping players based on how they like to play leads to a more fun and smoother experience.

Contrary to what many think, players aren’t just divided into those who enjoy PvE and those who prefer PvP. The game actually ranks everyone based on how frequently they fight, and then matches them with players of similar skill levels. This helps keep matches challenging and prevents gameplay from becoming too predictable.

The game tries to match you with players who have a similar playstyle to yours—whether you prefer to play cautiously, aggressively, or somewhere in between. However, this isn’t always perfect. You might still encounter unpredictable players who shoot at everything, even if you don’t often fight others.

I was really glad to see Embark address some of the things people were worried about with matchmaking on their blog. A lot of us thought there were only two types of lobbies – super chill or totally competitive – but they explained it’s way more nuanced than that. And they also clarified that accidentally bumping off one raider won’t instantly throw you into PvP-focused matches; it seems like the system adjusts gradually based on your behavior, which is good to know!

Many players believe there are separate matches where you only fight the AI-controlled enemies called the Arc, but the developers say that’s not how it works. They explain that while you might often encounter players who prefer to fight the Arc, you can’t avoid being attacked by other players entirely.

Matchmaking has been updated to better reflect player behavior. The game now distinguishes between defending yourself and initiating a fight, and shorter matches won’t affect your overall playstyle as much.

Players can use this information to choose the lobbies they prefer before the Frozen Trail update launches in October.

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2026-05-21 13:21